The mind is the world,
One should purify it strenuously.
One assumes the form of that which is one's mind.
This is the eternal secret.

Tuesday, 1 January 2008

the calendar begins anew...2008

I wish a year full of adventure and discovery for all my lovely readers.

Even though I don’t believe that time is linear, I think the calendar new year affords the opportunity to reevaluate. I do believe that regret and guilt can not only make your life unhappy, but actually shorten it. If we live every day with a sense of the possible, I think we can ‘repair’ the yesterdays. Regret nothing, for even if it was a ‘bad’ decision, it brought you to where you are today. We learn something from each turn in the road don’t we, and how can we regret that? If you are not where you want to be today, start toward your goal – there is always enough time because it is the journey where we learn, not the destination. Anything is possible because if you change your mind, you change matter – that is a scientific truth. What you think is what you are.

I think we cannot possibly conceive of what the Universe truly has to offer, not only in the physical sense but the spiritual. It is not only more advanced machines we need to measure the components of space, but more developed minds to comprehend the truth of the Universe. I have never understood the tendency of established religions to narrow the perceptions of their believers to what they dictate as dogma. Why would you do that? Oh all right I do know why – power. But why would we settle for that? If we continue to search for what is true, for what we are capable of, for what we can understand, for what we can sense and perceive – doesn’t that make us as individuals more knowing?

It seems to me that people are at different levels of understanding the Universe – by education, culture, upbringing, physical restraints, or fear. I think there is room for all levels of understanding, but only if there is compassion and tolerance. I think we can see in the world today what intolerance, rigidity, and fear have brought us – war and the violence of terrorism, poverty, hunger, and children dying from diseases that can be controlled with a simple vaccine. I think in this new year it is time to take power away from those few, controlled by fear and the hunger for power, and those who want a wider worldview to take power. I see no reason why this can’t be so. Aren’t there more of us than there are of them? But do we want a more tolerate and peaceful world more than they want money and power? That appears to be a question that needs an answer.

Those are my thoughts at the beginning of 2008. As always I hold that I could be wrong. If proven so, I am willing to revise my views.

Now back to Eid Al-Adha. On Friday, the second day of the holiday, I took a walk through the medina. It was quite a singular experience. As I entered the medina I saw several young boys building a fire with apparently whatever they could gather – pieces of wood from orange crates, scattered pieces of charcoal, and wood from broken walls. Stretched over the fire was what appeared to be chicken wire, you know that thin wire in an egg crate pattern. I thought, they must be cold, but they would do better to build the fire in a lee. Walking further in I began to see a fire about every twenty to thirty paces and the purpose became clear. They were roasting the sheep heads! From the feasting of the day before I can only imagine. Young boys were sitting to the sides of the fire with hammers and knives removing (with a great deal of enthusiasm and glee) the horns from the heads of the sheep and goats. All of the fires were catch as catch can, made from whatever was handy that would burn; and the means by which the heads were held over the fire varied from chicken wire to old rolling carts. One group outside a bank of apartments had a real outdoor bar-b-que set-up with walls around their fire and a metal grill formed from an old bedstead. The people from inside were bringing out the sheep’s heads to the young entrepreneurs who had an assembly line working to roast the heads, put them on a piece of wood that was then returned to the owners. I watched this little scenario for a while before turning into the depths of the medina. I have read that the face meat is very tender and the eyeballs are considered a delicacy. The brains are eaten with fresh bread.

As I walked further into the almost deserted medina, which I expected it being a holiday, I noted what I did not expect – there were NO WOMEN except for me. NO CHILDREN, NO TODDLERS of any sort. The fires were all tended by young boys and teenagers. The men were gathered outside the doorways of the closed shops. And nowhere did I see another female. It was creepy and I began to feel a bit edgy, like I didn’t “get the memo”. By the time I was truly nervous I was all the way through the medina and the only way home was back through. I actually considered a taxi but there were none to be found at the usual station by the market. I walked on to the New City where again groups of men were gathered at the occasional café that was open and serving tea. Finally I did see ONE woman – a westerner having tea with a western young man – tourists. I decided I best hoof it back home. I can assure you I made my best time ever through the shortest route through the medina to the Oudayas! Let me say that not one chap gave me a threatening look nor in any manner made me frightened, it was simply the situation and memories of Afghanistan long ago.

I ventured back out on Sunday and all that was left of the celebration was to be found looking down – there were fresh blood trails everywhere I walked.

A few shops were opened and I stopped for some Clementines. I spotted some peaches while there and discovered the fallout from a drought year – the peaches were 130dhs/kg! Yikes, but they were yummy.

How strange to find yourself the only woman about this day. Still nothing happened and perhaps they were all having private celebrations of something and it was nothing sinister at all. I wonder if you'll ever find out.

A very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year to you Lady Mac. I assume you are going to relate the travels which kept you incommunicando recently.regardsjmb

WUASTCHappy New Year to you. Yes, the thinking is required eh?thank you for coming by.

jmbI think all the women were at home - either preparing or cleaning up. One more reason to be glad to be a "western woman" eh?Happy New Year to you. Um...some things I cannot reveal on the blog you know..thank you for coming by.

ianMay your year be full of adventure and love!thank you for coming by.

pamela jeanneI'm always glad to have you come by to visit! I hope your New Year is filled with love.thank you for coming by.

winchester whispererBack at you!thank you for coming by.

ellee seymourAh but the snow is fun as well! Albeit I do know that toward the end of the season is becomes a bit wearing... :-)thank you for coming by.

debioIndeed! Well said. Good wishes to you always.thank you for coming by.

About Me

I was in Scotland, then I was in Paris, then I was in India climbing mountains and seeking Enlightenment, then I was in America having a baby, then I was in Morocco,then my one true love came to Paris to get me and brought me home to Texas to live happily ever after. I run. I write. I laugh. I write. I love. I travel. I write.

FYI

No comments are ever deleted on this blog (unless vulgar, and I have had none of those). Dissenting opinion and correction is welcome. I answer comments the day of the post, I try to check back, but if your comment is not answered my email is available.

they are very very dead

most certainly dead

lost hopes

sigh

Ring Around o' Rosie

Moroccan style!

life is not so bad

in the Maghreb

Q

enjoying the cat and kitty show

I'm done thanks.

naptime

playtime

The Pride

lunch from passerbys

The Loot

so much fun!

from Paul's

macaroons! so yummy..

the new suit

think the blue will help my stroke?

Boss shirt

a good fit, needs a nip taken in at the waist..

My new Fan!

the wood is painted and the ruffle is black silk

the shoes

really quite orange, eh? I'll need a new scarf..

further back in time

The Hammam

to rest afterwards in splendor

not my experience, but

everyone is different..

1,2,and 3 shop

my new scarve from such a selection to shame Hermes!

Mega Mall in Souissi-Rabat

the Food Court first floor

the POLO CLUBHOUSE

anyone for Polo?

eucalyptus grove

next to polo field

a girl and her kitty

aw.....

the new bread basket

note the configuration of the weave that allows you to close the basket securely

the new 'old' bowl

note the pieces of wood held together wtih a clasp

My new bowl

M.C. inspecting my new bowl

the pedicure

that's my "sandal tan"

the nails

joy and rapture

the end of the day

everyone is ver-r-r-y relaxed..

the airplane

Todra gorge

another view

the hotel in the gorge

Hotel Mansour

todra gorge

Todra gorge

Berbere Palace Hotel

dining room

Berbere Palace Hotel

Tineghir

Todra Gorge

tea at the hotel in the gorge

some tourists

you are glad to see go...

tourists

we do like them to come to Morocco

the football game

the players change with the sun

just the bottom half

the big con

M.C. Solaar

yes, life is good

no longer Stinky

M.C. Solaar

Hasan Tower

fireworks

Hasan Tower

fireworks 24 may 2007

restored door - cedar

Fez Medina

detail medluk wall

Fez Medina

cedar doorframe

in the Fez Medina

copyright protected 2007

M.C. wearing

his Cherrios headpiece and garlic facial

M.C.

eating for hundreds!

Flowers from Q

surprise, late Mother's Day gifting

Men At Work

enlargement of entry to drainage

the inspection

M.C. tours Q's new aquisition

continues

M.C. inspects my new antique Berber rug

Q"s birthday rug

girls-on-a-rug

my new antique Berber rug

a close up of the pattern of embroidery

Q"s "old" rug from Fez

moved it upstairs

Q"s new rug

from Coin Berbere in Fez

playtime

Q and M.C. at play on Q's birthday rug

the Kasbah Oudaylas

the front scaffolding up on Tuesday

the walls of the fort

scaffolding up on Monday

and down to the sea

scaffolding up on Wednesday

the small gate

this is our entrance

nap time

they both passed out for hours

the new kitten

it is a 'he', and he's all ears and fluff

My Marrakesh purchase

quite old, unsure of exact age, carved wood mask

neighborhood urchin

"bon bon?"

straggling tourists at day"s end

taking photographs of my street

yikes

incoming sand storm

a different perspective on T as she studies

a different perspective of T at study

looking to the river

looking to the river

looking out toward the palace

looking out toward the palace

our flowers of the garden

baby blooms

the beginning

the beginning

view from the terrace

looking back toward the gate of the huge fort that surrounds us on three sides